To our community,
The results of the US presidential election will have significant implications for the people who turn to JFS, for our staff, and for our entire community. We do not know how the future will unfold, but we will continue to do this work guided by our mission and values as a Jewish organization.
The work ahead of us will certainly be more challenging but we will not be deterred. We may not complete the task in our time, but we will not stop working for a better future. As long as we are willing to say, “We are here,” there is hope and purpose. As we move into these uncertain times, JFS is resolved to stand with those at greatest risk in our community.
We hope you’ll read our “Resolved” statement below. We have been here for 135 years and will continue to be here with respect and compassion for survivors of all kinds — of the Holocaust; of civil wars and human trafficking; of domestic violence; of inter-generational poverty; of circumstances that can upend lives in a heartbeat.
Resolved
We at Jewish Family Service are resolved to stand with those in our community in need of help. We are committed to providing services that honor the dignity of all human beings who turn to us.
Our history and values compel us to meet the needs of Jewish individuals and families. This responsibility was at the core of our founding in 1892, and it remains as critical to us today as it was then.
And, our Jewish history and values compel us to provide services to refugees and immigrants, as well as people of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.
We will continue our work with people in poverty to achieve lives of greater well-being, health, and stability.
We are unwavering in our commitment to serve refugees and immigrants.
We are steadfast in our service to people of any sexual orientation and any gender identity.
We are committed to supporting people of all abilities to live as fully and independently as possible.
We affirm that people affected by a cognitive disability deserve support in achieving and maintaining a positive quality of life.
We will be here for people affected by domestic violence and will not normalize abuse.
We believe the path to a just society begins when each of us values and honors the dignity of the other as highly as our own. Our tradition demands this.
But our experience has taught us that a just society is only truly possible when the sacred values we live out as individuals extend to our greater world.
So we are resolved — to serve, to ally, and to participate in building a just society.
In peace,
Will Berkovitz, Schocken Family CEO
Eric LeVine, JFS Board President
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